Spun From Amber
by 18 Doses
Summary: [GaaNaru] It’s Gaara, with hair spun like amber, and flesh so pale that Naruto finds himself fixated. He knows that the longer he remains in the desert the stronger the feelings will become, yet he cannot bring himself to leave.


**Pairing:** Naruto and Gaara  
**Warnings--to come:** Yaoi and some mild language. Oral, and a M/F scene that will probably (but I haven't planned it all yet) mark a turning point for Naruto. A hint at incest, which really can be taken either way, so I don't see it as being a problem for most people. Violence. And character death. You've been warned. Turn back now, or suffer from a spoiled mind.  
**More detailed summary:** He finds himself staring, and sometimes breathless, as if he has forgotten to breathe. However, when he does breathe he realizes just whom he's staring at. And he has to question himself. He has been doing this a lot, lately; it worries him. What are these feelings and just where did they come from? When did they start? It seems foreign, and he knows that what he's thinking must be wrong. This is a man. The Kazekage. It's Gaara…with hair spun like amber, and flesh so pale that Naruto finds himself fixated. He knows that the longer he remains in the desert the stronger the feelings will become, yet, he cannot bring himself to leave. 

**Note:** Oh GOD you just have to listen to the song from "Ghost in the Shell" called "Inner Universe" while reading this fic. I'm serious as a heart attack. It's what I listen to while writing these chapters! It just fits the fanfic so well. If you don't already have a link to the song, the visit my profile and go to my homepage (my livejournal) I've got the song link and personally translated lyrics. I highly suggest it! It gives so much more depth to the fic, for real.

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Spun From Amber  
_By 18 Doses_  
**Chapter One**

He was soft. Naruto had suspected this, of course, but never had he gotten enough guts to reach out and touch the man. Now he had gotten his chance, and he was still left unsatisfied.

Gaara groaned into his shoulder, his thin hands clenching the thin layer of mesh fabric around Naruto's abdomen. The blonde swallowed. It was getting far too hot, and the sun beating down on them was only making it worse. Wetting his chapped lips, Naruto stopped and shifted, balancing himself out. He tried glancing over his shoulder but found that it put too much of a stain on his injured neck.

Again, Gaara groaned. Furrowing his brow, Naruto began kneeling to his knees, slowly and gently sliding Gaara from his back and onto the sand. He sighed with relief when the Kazekage only gritted his teeth and took a few deep breathes, still deep in his, most likely, bitter sleep. Filled with nightmares, Naruto was sure. He knew the redhead like the back of his own hand by now.

"You just rest easy, Gaara," Naruto whispered, sitting himself down beside of his friend. He was well aware that Gaara wasn't really listening, since he was indeed asleep, but he felt the need to say it anyway. It was his way. Plus, he was nervous, and that was how he coped with his nerves; he talked.

Running a hand through his sweat soaked hair, Uzumaki looked up at the clear blue sky. "Not a damn cloud in sight," he hissed. "Like it would hurt for it to rain or something, geeze."

Irritated, tired, hungry, scorched, and weak, Naruto fell onto his back. The sand wafted up around him, some of it dusting across Gaara's legs and elbow. Blinking a few times to get rid of the feeling in his eyes, Naruto finally gave up. He had so much dirt eyes that it did not matter anyway.

Grimacing as he exhaled heavily, Naruto found that he was more exhausted than he'd thought. He had been so intent on getting Gaara and himself away from the two men that had attacked them that he had completely lost track of time; how long had he been running? Twelve hours straight? No, it was more like ten, because it couldn't be past noon, he realized. The sun was hitting too directly for it to be any earlier or later.

He watched a crow soar overhead and felt the dread well up in the pit of his stomach. But that was ridiculous. Those two had stopped following them by now, surely. Yes, he didn not sense them. Allowing his eyes to flutter shut, he felt the sleep begin to take him. It was stupid to sleep now. In this heat, he'd burn. And what of Gaara? His skin was like porcelain. To be honest, Naruto didn't quite understand how such a flawless complexion held up in the desert. Well, it certainly wouldn't hold up if Naruto left them both to boil.

Naruto forced his eyes back open, regretting it immediately. The glare of the sun shone brightly in his face, and he turned away, shielding his eyes with his forearm. He growled in annoyance, but stopped mid growl when he felt his cheek press against something akin to silk.

His eyes widened briefly and he finished rolling his head. A blush slid across his cheeks when he realized that he had unconsciously put his face into Gaara's hair. It smelled nice, considering that they had been beaten to a bloody pulp. He thought that he would definitely have to ask the Kazekage what type of shampoo he used when all of this was over.

Shaking his head at his ludicrous thoughts, Naruto turned his face away and sat up. He placed his hands on his knees, feeling the ripped and filthy fabric, and hefted himself up. He had rested long enough; they needed to return to Suna as soon as possible.

He could already feel the burn setting into his flesh. Sighing, he bent and did his best to put Gaara on his back without waking him. He managed, somehow. Apparently, though, all of the movement was too much for Gaara's injured form. Without his Tailed Demon, Gaara was much, dare he think it? weaker. He'd been training since the year that the Akatsuki had removed his Beast and killed him, since he'd been brought back to life, and he'd really come a long way. So, no, Naruto thought, he wasn't really weaker, just more vulnerable. Naruto had never really thought of his own self as invincible, but with the Nine Tailed Fox sealed within him, he was much more resistant to attacks, and he healed ten times faster. Gaara would likely have been in the same condition as Naruto if he still had the One Tailed. But he didn't and his wounds were only getting worse. Which lead Naruto to believe that they must be internal as well as the obvious outer. Gaara needed medical attention. Quickly.

"Well, don't you worry," the blonde said, grunting as he shifted Gaara's weight and balanced him so that he could untie the orange and black jacket from around his hips and cover their heads from the beating sun. "I'll get us out of this mess, Gaara. Believe it."

But Naruto was starting to _not_ believe it. He had a lot of energy, and his stamina was almost out the roof, but all of this was just too much. Itachi had done something to his seal, and he could feel the Fox itself weakening within him. It was somewhat scary.

Gaara sounded as though he whimpered, and Naruto froze, his eyes worried. This time he managed to glance behind him, ignoring the pain for the sake of the better good.

Gaara. Poor Gaara. His face was contorted in pain. A softer, yet ironically much more agonizing moan left his lips. "Naruto…" The blonde's name fell from his lips as if a plead for help. Naruto could feel his nails biting through the mesh top yet again, only this time closer to his chest. It hurt, to say the least. Gaara had very sharp nails for a man. But Naruto would ignore the pain.

"Hang in there, Gaara."

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_"We're never so vulnerable than when we trust someone - but paradoxically, if we cannot trust, neither can we find love or joy"_

Walter Anderson

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They were coming close upon a mountain, which Naruto didn't remember from his previous journeys to The Village Hidden among the Sand. Had he taken a wrong turn? He really hoped not. Night was starting to fall, and the temperature was dropping dramatically, which, one would think he would be grateful for. He was not.

"What is with this desert?" he seethed aloud, scowling at the air. "It's either too hot or too cold. Well, I tell you, I just can't stand it anymore!"

The air answered him with a whip to the face.

Naruto yelped as grains of sand scratched his cheek in a gust of violent wind. Wishing to do nothing but strangle the very sands of the desert, Naruto huffed. He bounced Gaara as easily as he could to keep him from sliding down his back. Like it or not, he was stuck like this, so he knew he had to figure something out. Looking up at the stars, he realized that they had an opportunity to stop for a break. They had a good six hours before the sun started to break over the horizon. He could take two to rest himself. He really needed it, and he was sure that Gaara would understand.

Kneeling to his knees, he once again laid Gaara down gently. This time, things didn't go as planned.

Slender hands held onto his bicep like clamps. Naruto had expected no less strength from the leader of a village, but he wasn't going to lie, not to himself; Gaara was so small for a seventeen year old shinobi. He suspected that it came from years of insomnia and not eating well. Just one look at the redhead's knuckles told Naruto that he'd used them as chew toys at one point in time, and from hanging around Ino Yamanaka, he knew what that was a sign of. Hopefully Gaara did not starve himself anymore.

Placing his own hand over Gaara's, Naruto pried one at a time, freeing himself after a moment or two. Sighing, he sat back heavily, knees up in a slouched manner with his arms lying straight out across his knees. He watched Gaara through the part in his legs. He hoped that he would stay asleep. He had woken up once around the evening, yelling in pain and cursing the very ground that Naruto walked on. The blonde couldn't recall being referred to as an incompetent idiot in years. And Gaara had said it with such malice…But Naruto knew that he didn't mean it; people tended to speak out of line when they were sick or in pain.

Clearing his throat, Naruto leaned forward a bit, resting fully on his own legs. He yawned after a moment and rubbed at his eyes to stay awake. Resting was one thing, but sleeping was another. He couldn't take the risk. Yes, he was paranoid.

An hour passed before he watched the bruised eyes across from him flutter open. Gaara automatically sucked in a sharp breath, wincing. When he tried to sit up, Naruto stopped him, placing a hand quickly to his chest, were there was only a single deep gash. Gaara growled at him but obeyed nonetheless.

With his breathing labored, Gaara closed his eyes for a while, fully awake. Naruto could tell that he wasn't sleeping because of the way he would grip the sand and whisper curses. He was not talking in his sleep, or at least Naruto was fairly sure that he wasn't. His guess was proven correct when Gaara re-opened his eyes. Seemingly, more in control of his pain, though Naruto knew otherwise. Gaara let out a shaky, quiet breath, staring up at the stars. His face was blank, aside from the brief ghost of a wince occasionally. They sat and lay in silence.

Finally, Gaara spoke. "I'm dying," he said.

Naruto's eyes flew wide. The man's tone was so assured and yet calm and accepting. "No!" Naruto said firmly. He gained control of his shock and went on; "No, you're not. You're just—you just need to see someone really quickly, but you're going to be fine."

Gaara shook his head. It looked like it caused him pain. "You're wrong. I'm dying."

"Stop saying that!"

Azure eyes slowly swept over Naruto's face as Gaara turned his head. The moon light cast a glow on his upraised cheek and red hair. He looked almost luminescent, and his hair like those red velvet threads that Sakura used to fix her curtains. Gaara seemed well aware of the look Naruto was giving him as he stared back. "It's the truth, and you know it, Uzumaki," he said. He bit his lip, obviously stopping himself from groaning in pain. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes to the offended look on Naruto's face. He said, voice with less sternness, "If I don't receive medical attention in the next hour, I'll die. You know this."

"Well, I don't want to know it," Naruto mumbled, rubbing his temples and putting his legs downward to a crossed position. He should be running with Gaara towards Suna! He knew it, and yet he felt like he wasn't capable of running, much less walking. He felt so weak. He needed the Fox's help, but couldn't seem to receive it since the jutsu that Itachi had used on him. "Damn…"

Gaara sighed and lolled his head back to face the sky. "It's beautiful," he said, referring to the moon. "I don't think I've seen it like this before." There was a long paused before he continued. "It must be because of the lights in Suna. They stop it from being so bright." He closed his eyes, his breathing becoming more shallow, causing Naruto to look panicked and then, suddenly, angry. Gaara wetted his sun burned lips. "It was supposed to be a quarter moon. But it's full."

Naruto knitted his brows. Gaara was just so infuriating! How could he be so calm? "Stop it, Gaara," Uzumaki snapped. "Just stop it. Quit talking like it's the last moon you're going to see."

The blonde was shocked into a stupor when Gaara chuckled: "It may very well be…so why shouldn't I?"

Baring his teeth, Naruto growled, clenching his fists and sitting up on his knees to glower down at his friend. He forced back the lump in his throat. Had it all been a waste? All of his efforts? No! He refused to believe that.

"You're crying…"

Naruto, without realizing it, had squeezed his eyes tightly shut. Hearing Gaara's confused voice, he snapped them open quickly, blushing scarlet. He shook his head. "No, I just have sand in my eyes," he snapped. "It's been in there since I started running through this crap, trying to _save_ you, and yet you're just going to sit here and accept death? Well I won't let you, Gaara!" Turning quickly, he began to dig through the pouch laid out beside of his jacket. If he wasn't able to get them to Suna quickly, then he would have to improvise. "I'm not going to just sit back and watch you talk about moons and dying. And I'm not just going to wait around for those bastards to pounce." He was well aware that Gaara was staring at him with confused and widened eyes. He was raving a lunatic, but who could blame him? He had been pushed to his limits and this was just too much. "I'll fix you myself. Right now."

"Naruto…" Gaara began, seeming unsure of what to say. His eyes darted down to the items Naruto had pulled from the pouch. "You don't know medical ninjutsu."

"Well, I don't know how to cook worth a damn, either, but I manage."

Face serious, Naruto gripped Gaara's arm, intending to start with it and move downward. It seemed logical.

It seemed logical and simple until Gaara jerked his arms away, lip raised.

"Quit," Gaara hissed. "My injuries are too server for a well trained medic nin, much less someone who doesn't know what they're doing! You'll only make them worse."

"And how will we know that if you don't give me a chance?" Naruto demanded. Shaking his head in irritation, he grabbed hold of Gaara's arm again, and again, Gaara fought through the pain to get it away.

"Give me you're arm!" Naruto yelled, shifting to stand on his knees and fight for dominance. "I'm fixing you whether you like it or not." Growling, he bit down on the bandages and cleaning solution, holding the items, all at once in his mouth. The solution fell out, clunking Gaara on the head before it landed on the sand. The redhead grunted at the pain that must have shot through his already throbbing head, but continued to fight. Naruto was having none of it.

"Damn you, Naruto, let go of me!"

"Hold still!"

"Fuck you!"

"Do you just _want_ to die?"

The heated argument continued, as did the fighting, until Naruto solved the solution altogether. Raising himself, he straddled Gaara's hips. He used one hand to force back Gaara's right arm, which was less wounded and had more strength.

Panting, they both glared at one another. Gaara shook his head and wetted his lips, giving up. He closed his eyes, and Naruto sighed, relieved that the fight was over. Thanks to the stubbornness that was Gaara (which shocked Naruto, because it was the first time he had ever witnessed such behavior from the Kazekage) they had both exerted energy that they really did not have to give; and Gaara was the worst. He'd reopened at least three wounds that had been attempting to close over, infested with sand or not.

Gaara's breathing began to come back down to normal, as did his heart rate. Naruto's was close behind. Wetting his own lips, Naruto could feel the sweat pouring off him. The temperature had dropped, but their fight had been more than a work out. He chuckled. "Geeze, Gaara," he began, lowering himself slightly downward out of exhaustion. He hovered over his friend, nearly forehead to forehead. "Who would have thought someone on their death bed could put up such a fight. Do you do this to all of your dates?"

Blue and black rimmed eyes re-opened and Gaara looked surprised at the sudden closeness, but apparently ignored it for the time being. He did not answer the ridiculous thing that Naruto said, nor did he smile or laugh, but Naruto could feel the tension between them being lifted like a veil.

"So," Uzumaki said, looking from Gaara's eyes, lifting himself back up, and then glancing at the supplies fallen beside of them during the fight; "are you going to let me do this, or what?"

"Whatever…"

Nodding, Naruto hesitantly let go of Gaara's arm. When the redhead didn't make a move to escape (and that was suggesting that he could) Naruto kept his eye on him and reached for the supplies. Once he had them in hand, he shifted himself off of Gaara and smiled kindly. "Trust me on this," he said. "How hard can it be?"

Narrowing his eyes, Gaara said nothing; however, he did lie there and allow Naruto to tend to his wounds without the slightest of arguments.

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Suna was in an uproar. Civilians ran about with panic stricken faces, gossiping win nervous tones about their missing leader. Shinobi marched about, giving out orders for a search party. And Naruto trudged, dragging himself up the narrow walkway between the library and the hospital. He held tight to Gaara, dead set on making it into at least one of the buildings, whichever was closer, before collapsing. He was well aware that the talk and nervous orders had stopped. Dead silence surrounded him now, as well as stunned faces.

A man rushed up to him, and he wasn't sure, but Naruto thought that he looked familiar just before he fell flat on his face, feeling the lifted weight from his back.

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"What the hell happened?" she asked, anger seeping from the crevasses of each word.

Naruto winced partially because of his headache and partially because of the pissed off look on the elder woman's face. He chose not to speak, least he anger the beast more. Gaara on the other hand, the blonde observed, appeared calm as a pickle behind his desk, looking across at his sister.

"Temari," Gaara began, intertwining his fingers and propping his elbows up on the desktop. He still looked wounded, with large bruises on his neck from the large hands that had threatened to choke the life out of him. "Lower you voice."

She huffed, twirling around and plopping down beside of a concerned looking puppeteer on the bench nearest the door. Closing her eyes, the woman crossed her arms and shook her head. "Well I'm sorry," she said, her tone dropping and giving way to a soft voice. She opened her eyes and looked down at the floor. "We were all so worried. And now you're back. And you still, after two days of being home, you haven't breathed a hardly word of what happened to the two of you, besides to explain what Naruto was doing out in the desert. That doesn't really help me understand why Gaara was half dead when you showed up after five days."

Kankuro patted her knee bluntly, perhaps a show of comforts, but Naruto wasn't sure. The siblings were so hard to understand at times.

"And you look like hell run over," Kankuro told his brother. And then, looking over to Naruto told him the same. "Who attacked you?"

Memories began to flood Naruto's mind; images of Itachi in all of his hateful glory, red eyes shinning. He could still recall Kisame about to shred his neck with the sword that devours chakra. It was all so vivid. And he remembered how late it had been, how close to Suna he'd been while trying to complete the first solo mission Tsunade had given him. How stupid he had been to take it. But he had Gaara to thank for coming out alive, even if it had all gone bizarre, to say the least.

Sighing, he stuffed his hand into his pocket, leaving the casted one out. "Akatsuki," he said, narrowing his eyes out the window. "Those bastards…"

Kankuro and Temari looked at him with wide eyes. Temari was the one to speak first. She looked to have cumbered. Rubbing a hand over her face, she asked the obvious question; that being if the Akatsuki had stated their purpose.

"Me, of course. I'm the last 'installment' to their plans." Naruto said, sounding annoyed. He really hated to sound like a prick, but they'd been over this before.

He watched as Kankuro sighed heavily and sat back against the paste colored wall. Temari didn't look so comfortable. Shaking her head and exhaling loudly, she said, "Well, I know that, Naruto. I meant if there was anything else that they might have mentioned."

Immediately, Naruto understood what she was getting at. A wash of sadness closed over his face and he crossed his arms. Half sitting on the edge to Gaara's desk, Naruto sighed and looked down to his feet. He wasn't even sure that it was possible to feel so many emotions at once. And so randomly, too. One minute he was pissed, the next he was ready to sob himself into oblivion. He could feel their eyes on him, Gaara's mostly since he was directly behind him.

The desk shifted as if Gaara had moved to pull something from a drawer. Sure enough, a blank scroll was extended towards him from behind. Gaara waited for him to take it, as Temari looked regretful of what she'd brought up. Ignoring the eldest Sand sibling Naruto looked over his shoulder and raised a brow. Gaara looked down at the pen beside of him and then back to Naruto expectantly.

"What's this for?" Naruto asked, confused. The sadness he was feeling was reflected in his tone of voice, and he hated the very sound of it.

Gaara motioned for Temari and Kankuro to leave with the nod of his head and wave of dismissal. Naruto might have been amused had he not been so befuddled. When the two had left them alone in the office, Gaara picked up the pen and handed it to Naruto. He cleared his throat once and then began looking through the drawer once more. As he looked, and Naruto watched still confused, he explained himself. "I want you to write your Hokage," he said simply, pulling out a silver box and placing it on the desk. He looked back to Naruto, face void of what he might be thinking.

"Huh?" Naruto raised a lip. "What for? I have to get back soon, anyway, so it's not like—"

"That's exactly why I want you to write to her. It isn't in your best interest to travel back through Suna and the Rain. Not now."

Squeezing his eyes shut and shaking his head, Naruto frowned. "Don't be ridiculous. I can't stay here; I have a duty to Konoha!" he exclaimed, setting the paper and pen down in refusal.

"Well," Gaara began calmly, picking it back up and holding the paper as if to put it away, "it's entirely up to you, Naruto. But I don't see how you'll fulfill your duty if you die."

"That was uncalled for."

"Nonetheless…It's true."

Naruto opened his mouth to protest, but the raise of Gaara's halting hand stopped him. Gaara shook his head, the slightest hint of annoyance ghosting his face. "You're not a complete idiot, Naruto," he said with closed eyes and a frown. "We don't even know what type of seal Itachi Uchiha used on you. You should remain here. If you Hokage is worth her salt, then she'll send someone to look over the seal placed on your arm. It's unsafe for you to travel alone, and I can't accompany you. What happens if you run into them again?"

"Kick their asses, duh." He grinned.

Gaara was obviously not amused. "You were barely able to channel enough chakra to sustain healing my wounds. How do expect to use jutsu to defend yourself?"

Rolling his eyes, Naruto got up from the desk and placed his hand on his hip. He knitted his brow, glaring at Gaara. "Incase you forgot, Gaara," he quipped, "I had been running nonstop for who knows how long. Plus," his brows went up and he nodded his head as a gesture to Gaara himself, "you're not dead, now are you? So, I guess I had enough chakra. I'm fine now, honestly."

Looking down at the paper, Gaara gave an inaudible sigh. Naruto only noticed because he was watching his lips.

"Fine then," Gaara said. He waved to the door. "You think you're in perfect condition, then go."

"Go?"

Gaara raised a non-existent brow at Naruto's surprised reaction.

"You mean…leave your office?"

"No, my village."

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The small clock ticked beside of him, echoing in the silent room. The moonlight caused the shadow of his jacket, hung up beside of him, to cast an image over his hunched form. He breathed heavily through flared nostrils and clenched the pen in his hand. Writing to Tsunade about what had happened was harder than Naruto had thought it would be.

He looked down at what he had written so far and rolled his eyes. Rolling up the piece of paper, he pulled another from the item bag Gaara had given him. He began writing. As he wrote, he thought.

He thought about how different fighting Itachi had been after nearly a year of absence from Akatsuki. He thought about the fact that he had actually landed a few blows and possibly broken the man's rib. He thought about how things had suddenly fallen down hill; how he would have most likely been taken in for exorcism if Gaara hadn't showed up out of the blue. He owed Gaara quite a few 'thank you's' for that one, even if Naruto had been the one to get them out of the mess at the end. What he thought the most about, though, besides how strange it felt to be wearing an outfit out of Kankuro's closet, was the thing that had being weighing on his mind since Temari had brought it up.

Sighing, Naruto ripped up the note he was working on and pulled out another scroll. He had a feeling that he knew exactly what he wanted to say now. He wrote. When he was finished, he sat the pen down and examined his work.

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_Dear, Hag _

I've got some really bad news.

I'll start with the good news. You know those herbs you sent me to Suna with? Well, they were put to good use! Which leads to the start os the bad news. I had to use them on Gaara. He saved my life, Tsunade. An eye for an eye, I guess.

See, everybody thought Akatsuki was up to something new, right? It turns out they still have the same stupid agenda. Would you believe they came after me just before I got here? It was Itachi and the other guy, the Mist one; I can't ever remember his name.

I guess it won't do me any good to waste time with details, so I'll just go ahead and get to the point. Itachi used some kind of sealing jutsu on me. I can't tap into the Fox's chakra, and my head feels kind of odd. It's hard to explain. We just got back to Suna two days ago—we were out in the desert for five days, would you believe?—so Gaara hasn't really figured out what it is that they used. I don't mean to insult the Sand or anything, and Gaara even said it himself; but I don't think anyone here will be able to figure it out. It is Itachi we're talking about, and since he's from our village, I'm betting that whatever he used on me is in one of our forbidden scrolls.

I know I should be getting back to Konoha, but instead, I'm writing to tell you that I've been 'prohibited' from doing so. I can't believe Gaara doesn't trust me to get back on my own. But whatever, I guess I can see where he's coming from. Still, though, you know me, I'd be fine!

Anyway, since I won't be coming back on my own, maybe you should send someone over here to look at the seal? Send the Pervert, that way I can go back with him. It's no offense to Gaara, but I can't stand this heat anymore. I think I'm melting. And you know what? They don't even have Ramen around here. Well, they do, but it's dry. And sandy. Or maybe that's just Temari's cooking.

I sure hope she's not the one that examines this letter before someone takes it to you. She'd be mad if she read that.

So, send someone to take a look and etc.

P.S. Tsunade, I know you told me not to bring Sasuke up to you again, but I just can't be quiet anymore. I want you to tell me what the hell you know about his whereabouts. You always tell me you aren't authorized to speak of it, but that's bullshit and I know it. You're the Hokage, you don't need permission. You just don't want to tell me. But please, I can't stand not knowing. I have a feeling that Temari knows, and so does Gaara, even if you've kept it secret in our village. So if you don't tell me, they will. I can get it out of one of tem, but really, I'd rather you told me out of good confidence. Please? It has something to do with Akatsuki, doesn't it? I know he's still after Itachi, but something else is going on, I just know it. 

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**Note:** Well, how was the first chapter? Good, I hope. It took me two and a half days to write, since college has me so stressed lately. I hope my writer's block didn't start showing through at the end of the chapter. I tend to have issues when it comes to ending a chapter. IDK what it is about it that bugs me so much.

Anyway, I hope I've kept them in character. Gaara can be hard to portray, but since the chapters with him and Akatsuki, we've seen some changes in him. I'd like to think he's mellowed out quite a bit, with a bite still to his attitude.

So, review and let me know your thoughts. Love ya.


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